Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin

Starry River of the Sky

by Grace Lin

Image Credit: Starry River of the Sky at gracelin.com

1. Bibliography

Lin, Grace.  Starry River of the Sky. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2012. ISBN 0316125954

2. Plot Summary

This mesmerizing companion to the Newbery Honor Book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (2009) does not disappoint. Rendi has run away from home, stowed in the back of a merchant’s cart until he is discovered and left stranded in the scarcely populated Village of Clear Sky. There he becomes the innkeeper’s chore boy and is introduced to a cast of characters, including Mr. Shan, a wise older man; Madame Chang, a mysterious out-of-town guest with a gift for storytelling; and a toad whom Mr. Shan calls Rabbit. All the while, the moon is missing, and it seems only Rendi is tormented by the sky’s sad wailing noises at night. Madame Chang insists that for each story she tells—including one about ruler Wang Yi’s wife, who transformed into a toad and lived out the rest of her days on the moon—Rendi must tell one of his own.  (Summary Credit: Starry River of the Sky at booklist.com)

3. Critical Analysis

The main character, Rendi, was easy to relate to and although he had a tough time learning about himself and others, the reader is really given the chance to see him grow and learn to value those around him. He is only contented with his life, and those people in his life, when he learns the importance of forgiveness. The stories the characters tell reveal pieces of the larger, centuries-long tale, but it's also how we learn about the main characters themselves.  There is rich character development and all the characters names have meanings in the Chinese language. The story is primarily about Rendi however, each character and story told within was just as unique and riveting. The book is set in the same story world as Where the Mountain Meets the Moon; old, fantastical China. The story takes place in the Village of Clear Sky which used to be Village of Endless Mountain.  Other locations mentioned throughout the story have cultural references including the title location (Starry River of the Sky), Stone Pancake, Long River, Heavenly Palace, Liu, Fang, Palace of the Sun, Palace of the Moon, City of Far Remote, and Inn of Never-Ending Mountain.

Cultural markers abound but are incorporated into the story so you feel that you are in an ancient fantasy version of China. References to other characters and locations (proper named) are mentioned the Noxious Animals, Celestial Rooster, Half-Moon Well, Nan Ling water, and Spirit of the Mountain. And, non-proper named locations such as a palace of water jade and pearl. Locations are described as having a couch bed carved with ribbon-tailed birds and plum blossoms, silk scrolls hung on the wall, delicate paper cutting decorations, incense, stone tablets carved with names of dead ancestors, a jade vase, a lantern that must be lit, and a box made from a golden peach pit.  Characters are clothed in various outfits that depict their social and economic status including cotton robes of a commoner, crimson silk robes, goldfish slippers, gilded metal comb, an embroidered silk purse, jade bracelet, and a belt decoration with red cinnabar beads. There are Chinese folktales embedded within the story that tell tales about five poisonous animals (snake, scorpion, centipede, spider, and toad), six suns in the sky, flooding water serpent, a man transformed into a toad, a noxious toad (that haunts the inn, has blood eyes and breathes poison vapor), dust as thick as breath of an earth dragon, and a dragon’s pearl.  The characters own items such as two copper coins tied together with a red string, an abacus, a hollow gourd to draw up the water, chopsticks, a carriage, a string of gold and a blue, white and gold rice bowl with an ancient rabbit motif.

Other cultural references include: Rendi, while hiding in the cart, felt like he was ‘compressed like meat in a dumpling’; it was ‘unheard of for a woman to be staying alone at an inn’; ‘the sky, earth, and seas echoed with his (the hero) praises’; there are references to balance and harmony and use of a matchmaker.  Animals used throughout the story reflect those of the Chinese zodiac and folktales (cricket, tiger, cow, rooster, and toad).  Chinese words are used but explained contextually (gang, wang, qin).  The characters names all have meaning in Chinese and include Rendi, Master Chao, Peiyi, Jiming, Mr. Shan, Madame Chang, WangYi, Widow Yan, MeiLan, Tiwu, Magistrate Tiger, Duke Zhe, Queen Mother of the Heavens, and the Moon Lady.  There is an emperor in addition to a king.  And, individuals show affection by touching foreheads.  Food mentioned in the story include pork dumpling, rice wine, tofu, lychees, ice plum juice, dough deep frying in oil, rice, fried taro cakes, sesame balls, plums, ginger soup, rice balls, and a butchered pig.  Celebrations include Day of Five Poisons, a wedding with a sedan chair, wedding procession, firecrackers, red embroidered silk canopy, and costumed carriers, and coloring red eggs for festivities.  Religious practices include: rain ceremonies (makes them laugh so hard that they cry and then rain will fall, burning smoke in front of statues hoping their eyes will water, or throwing dirt on dragon figures), wine to protect the characters from the Noxious Animals, a wang symbol (symbol of power) on the daughters forehead, a shrine room, and the mention that the couple should not get married yet because ‘we don’t know if this is an auspicious day.

4. Review Experts

~School Library Journal: “The moon is missing from the sky, and its absence causes unrelenting heat and drought. At night, Rendi can hear the sky moan and whimper for the missing moon, a sound that has plagued him since running away from home and ending up as a chore boy at an isolated inn. When a mysterious and glamorous guest arrives, she brings stories and asks Rendi to tell her tales in return. These stories weave the characters and plotlines together while revealing the backstory of Rendi's flight from home, the village's geography, and the missing moon, and how they tie together. This follow-up to Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Little, Brown, 2009), takes place centuries earlier when Magistrate Tiger's son was still young and missing. The stories the characters tell are based on traditional Chinese folktales, but Lin adds her own elements and layers and mixes them with original tales to form a larger narrative that provides the background and the answers for the frame story. This tight and cyclical plotting, combined with Lin's vibrant, full-color paintings and chapter decorations, creates a work that is nothing short of enchanting. Like the restored moon, Starry River outshines the previous work.”

~Publishers Weekly: “Lin’s signature device of interspersing the plot with stories told by various characters enriches this story on many levels, especially when Rendi, pressured by Madame Chang, begins to tell his own revealing stories. Neither sequel nor prequel, this fantasy is linked to Lin’s Newbery Honor book, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (2009), through numerous elements, including lush imagery, glorious full-color artwork, food similes (“Rendi’s muscles were as soft as uncooked tofu”), and the cruel and hot-tempered Magistrate Tiger. The lively mix of adventure, mystery, and fantasy, supported by compelling character development and spellbinding language, will captivate a wide swath of readers.”

5. Connections

~Gather and read other books by Grace Lin including:

            Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. ISBN 0316038636

            Year of the Dog. ISBN 9780316060028

When the Sea Turned to Silver. ISBN 9780316125949

~Use in a social studies segment about Chines Festival like the Dragon Boat Festival or Lantern Festival

~Use in a social studies unit about Rain Dances and Celebrations in different cultures

~Use in a science class about Fireflies or Goldfish

~Use in a science class about the Moon